Gov. Phil Murphy's State of the State vision: NJ as 'best place' for families

Gov. Phil Murphy’s sixth State of the State address was an unwavering repeat of his long-standing message to New Jersey — the governor wants to make the Garden State “the “best place anywhere to raise a family.”

As far as how Murphy plans to continue that promise in his last legislative session that kicks off this month, the second-term governor announced new initiatives to relieve medical debt, stay competitive on artificial intelligence and expand access to universal pre-K.

“We live in a world rocked by two full-on wars, a surge in hate crimes, inflation, high interest rates, the aftermath of a pandemic and the tail end of supply chain disruptions. And in the face of these challenges, building a stronger, fairer, more inclusive New Jersey has never been more necessary,” Murphy said in Trenton as a weather-related state of emergency loomed over the state.

Murphy also used the address to remember Lt. Gov. Sheila Y. Oliver and former Board of Public Utilities president Joe Fiordaliso, both of whom died in 2023.

After a highlight reel of what the Murphy administration has accomplished so far including the ANCHOR program, increased minimum wage and job creation, the governor talked about what he wants to do during this legislative session, the last during his tenure.

Affordable housing

“We need to put the dream of homeownership and affordable housing back into reach for working New Jerseyans,” Murphy said.

The governor wants to do this by signing legislation that had been introduced initially last month but did not advance during the lame-duck session.

Sponsored by state Senate President Nick Scutari, Assembly Speaker Craig Coughlin, state Sen. Troy Singleton and Assemblywoman Yvonne Lopez, the bill would create a new process for New Jersey towns to determine their affordable housing obligations.

Health care

Murphy noted that one in 10 New Jersey residents is carrying medical debt in collections and that the numbers are even higher in communities of color.

“In the wealthiest nation in the world, nobody should have to worry about being able to afford critical health care services or a lifesaving medical procedure,” Murphy said. “But that is the reality for too many.”

He called for the Legislature to enact a new package to make medical billing more clear and transparent.

Murphy asked for the package to be named The Louisa Carman Medical Debt Relief Act, after a staffer who died in a car crash last week at age 25.

Murphy also highlighted the restore funding for Planned Parenthood and family planning services as well as initiatives that take effect later this year like the Sen, Shirley Turner and Assemblywoman Verlina Reynolds-Jackson sponsored legislation that will allow for birth control to be available without a prescription.

And called for the passage of a bill sponsored by state Senate Majority Leader Teresa Ruiz and Assemblywoman Shanique Speight to scrap out-of-pocket costs for abortion procedures and protect patients and providers.

Full text: Read Gov. Murphy's full NJ State of the State 2024 address

Education

Murphy also said that he wants to “redouble our commitment to bringing universal pre-K to all of New Jersey.”

“So far, we have helped more than 14,000 of our state’s children enroll in a pre-K program,” he said.

He also wants to improve literacy rates by introducing new initiatives to teach the fundamentals of reading “like sounding out letters and combining them into words.”

Voting

The governor said that his administration is also “defending the most basic freedom in our democracy: the right to vote.”

He gave credit to Lt. Gov. Tahesha Way who through her role as Secretary of State implemented automatic voter registration, instituted early in-person voting, established online voter registration and restored voting rights to more than 80,000 of our neighbors on probation or parole.

Murphy also highlighted a new law spearheaded by state Sen. Andrew Zwicker that will allow 17-year-olds to vote in primaries if they will be 18 by the time of the general election.

But again, he’s asking for more. Murphy wants same-day voter registration in New Jersey and to follow the example laid out in Newark where an ordinance is being considered to allow 16- and 17-year-olds to vote in local school board elections.

“I know, to some, this proposal may sound unconventional,” Murphy said. “But voting is a lifelong habit. And studies show that, if a person votes in one election — they are more likely to turn out in the next election.”

Artificial Intelligence

In what is likely an effort to create a legacy beyond his two terms in office, Murphy also noted that he wants New Jersey to lead the world in generative artificial intelligence.

He pointed to the partnership with Princeton University, announced last month that will create a new AI innovation hub.

What Murphy called an “AI Moonshot” seems to be an effort to support some of New Jersey’s top innovators as they work toward AI-powered breakthroughs over the next decade.

He said the government will be a “catalyst for bringing together innovators and leaders to invest in research and development, and ultimately, establish New Jersey as the home base for AI-powered game-changers” and named Chief Innovation Officer Beth Noveck as the first-ever Chief AI Strategist.

Murphy didn’t announce any funding or legislation efforts related to the plan. And New Jersey isn’t the only state looking to corner the AI market.

During her own State of the State address on Monday, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul announced that New York will be committing more than $400 million in public and private funding to create “Empire AI,” a consortium of research institutions with a state-of-the-art artificial intelligence computing center in Upstate New York geared to “promote responsible research and development, create jobs, and unlock AI opportunities focused on public good.”

Notably absent

While Murphy’s speech clocked in at more than 6,300 words, there was no mention of NJ Transit at all. The agency faces a fiscal cliff, starting at $120 million with the new fiscal year in July and inflating to nearly $1 billion in 2026.

Additionally the Transportation Trust Fund didn’t come up at all despite an expiration date in the first half of 2024.

There was also no mention of legislation that was pulled from the lame-duck session agenda in the eleventh hour that had been geared toward ending roadway deaths and highlighting high-injury corridors because of amendments that some said "gutted" the teeth of the bill.

The Republican response

State Senate Minority Leader Anthony Bucco said that the governor was “optimistic” and that the issues that he highlighted such as access to health care, education and crime, are important to people but “actions need to mean words.”

“Last year we had a budget that exceeded the governor’s proposed budget by $1 billion,” Bucco said. “You can’t have that kind of excessive spending and then say, ‘Hey, we’re going to make New Jersey affordable.’”

Bucco also noted that revenues are already lower than projected and that means there will have to be “cuts in certain areas and those decisions are going to be painful to some.”

Katie Sobko covers the New Jersey Statehouse. Email: sobko@northjersey.com

This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: NJ Gov. Phil Murphy delivers 2024 State of the State